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StumbleFriday, Jan. 28, 2011 | 7:13 a.m.
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford revved up his new rapid response shop this morning with a "memo on higher education" penned by Mike Trask that makes the cuts look as bad as he can, says Gov. Brian Sandoval "assumes a 12 percent tuition hike" (really?) and has an unfortunate error ("What Nevadan's think") for a higher ed missive.
Here it is:
Higher education in Nevada
In 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nevada spent 6.7 percent of its total state expenditures on higher education. This ranked far below the national average of 10.1 percent. In comparison, Colorado spent 8.3 percent of total expenditures on higher education; neighboring Utah spent 10.1 percent.
In 2007, Nevada ranked 48th in per capita state and local government expenditures on higher education at $490 per resident. Wyoming spent nearly twice as much at $973 per resident and Utah spent $896. Every other Western state ranked above Nevada.
Now Governor Brian Sandoval has proposed an 18.7 percent cut to our colleges. In reality, this cut is much closer to 30 percent when a 5 percent college staff pay cut is taken into account, and because the governor assumes a 12 percent tuition hike for Nevada students.
Yes, Nevada young people and those working to learn new skills would pay an additional 12 percent under the Sandoval plan. In fact, if the higher education shortfall were to be covered through tuition hikes alone, tuition would have to skyrocket by an estimated 73 percent.
This comes at a time when College of Southern Nevada students literally camped outside to be in line for class registration. Why did they camp out to go to college? Because colleges such as CSN simply cannot accommodate the needs of all of the Nevadans who want to further their futures.
Further, workforce development and retraining could not be of more importance with unemployment at 15 percent. More than 85,000 construction workers are unemployed, and their industry simply will not recover to 2007 levels in the near future. Retraining our workforce for the jobs of the future depends on a strong system of higher education. Governor Sandoval is eliminating that option, and cutting off the possibility of a robust economic recovery or long-term economic diversification as a result.
Other Republican governors don’t feel the same
As Governor Sandoval proposes drastic cuts to higher education, the Republican governors of Virginia, Kansas, New Jersey, and Nebraska view higher education as the key to turning their state’s lagging economies around. They are resisting cuts to higher education, and some are even proposing to increase funds, despite budget shortfalls.
Conservative Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell recently announced a $50 million investment in higher education, aimed at increasing the percentage of Virginians with higher education credentials from 42 to 55 percent in the next 15 years.
McDonnell cites:
For every $1 the state spends on higher education, it generates $13 in GDP
For every $1 the state spends on higher education it generates $1.39 in state revenue
Higher education accounts for more than 144,000 jobs and $9.5 billion in spending
Other Republican governors cite similar statistics as they work to improve higher education in their states. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback recently proposed a three-year, $105-million University Economic Growth Initiative to enhance job growth in three key economic clusters: cancer research, animal health research, and aviation.
In recent weeks, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman have also spoken about the need to support higher education during tough financial times. They know preserving and improving higher education will be a key to economic recovery.
What it means for Nevada
According to Chancellor Dan Klaich, every $1 of state support for higher education equals $4.39 in economic activity in Nevada.
The cuts to higher education will have an immediate negative impact on spending in Nevada during a time when the state desperately needs revenue. But that’s not the worst part.
In order for Nevada to truly diversify its economy it needs to produce a workforce that meets the needs of 21st Century business. Our young people deserve the opportunity to compete for high-paying jobs.
Chancellor Dan Klaich testified to the following during a budget hearing in Carson City today:
To offset a $162 million reduction in state spending, tuition and fees would need to increase 73 percent – or 83% if 15 percent of the tuition increases were set aside for financial aid, as the governor has proposed
The governor’s budget represents a 31 percent cut over two years to the University of Nevada, Reno
The governor’s budget represents a 28.6 percent cut over two years to Truckee Meadows Community College
Governor Sandoval’s proposed higher education budget cuts would be on top of reductions of 36 to 42 percent cuts imposed at universities and community colleges since 2009, resulting in a 9 percent reduction in staff, larger classes, lack of access to classes, and students taking longer to graduate
What Nevadan’s think
Nevadans are deeply concerned about these cuts. Young people want to get educated. They want to position themselves for better jobs and more opportunity in the future. The governor’s cuts are scary. Here are a few thoughts from Nevadans.
“I know that an increase in tuition will mean that many of the faces I see on campus will not be able to return in the fall. I know that more cuts to programs and services will lead to students and staff looking elsewhere. If we continue to cut education, Nevada will become a ghost state. We must realize the importance of funding our schools and providing avenues for the best and the brightest to remain in the Silver State.”
Mallory Cyr
UNLV
“My entire family’s future is directly affected by our ability to receive quality education. As Governor Sandoval continues to guilt the struggling people of Nevada with his "shared responsibility" rhetoric, he seems to be ignoring the fact that gutting the funding for education has only caused the people of Nevada to fall further and further behind in their appeal to quality employers.”
Tera Burbank
Mother, CSN graduate, UNLV student
“In order to turn Nevada into the Renewable Energy Capital of the World, we will need to invest more in our education system. We will need to institute more programs that will allow for this vision to be enacted. We will need to show the businesses around the country that we have an educated and skilled population in place, ready and willing to work.”
Aimee Riley
CSN
Comment removed by moderator. Name-calling.
There is a direct correlation between the price paid and the perceived value. High Quality Universities charge higher tuitions. In turn, the students will demand high quality professors and get more from their time in school.
Governor McDonnell found an additional $1.45 Billion in the Virgina States budget after last years audit.
Lets find a way to expand the student loan programs. Students can then determine if the price they pay for school justifies the education they receive.
TAXING students without first putting in place the necessary increased loan amounts allowing them to pay for school without ending up homeless on the streets is what's needed. What is happening instead is the butchering of students with tax increases from Sandoval while all the rich corporations in Nevada whispers about the need for "someone else" to figure out how to keep the kids in schools.
So, you want someone else to pay for the colleges that in the end benefit all of Nevada, and you want someone else to fix the economy, just as long as someone else doesn't ask you to pay for any of the prosperity or the tools to fix it with.
~WAKE UP, NOTHING IS FREE~
Is the Governor (and his handlers) so naieve as to believe that CUTTING EDUCATION will be beneficial to the state of Nevada???
Note to B.S.:
You are looking at the picture UPSIDE DOWN!!!
Horsford needs the money to pay for the $70 million D street underpass so that "his people" won't be cut off from "the heart of downtown" (or at least they won't have to drive or walk an additional 3 blocks.......
Horsford is a true "tax and spend" liberal "hero of the people"!
"In reality, this cut is much closer to 30 percent when a 5 percent college staff pay cut is taken into account..."
Someone needs to do the math, but this would seem to argue that there is some fat to be trimmed in salaries.
Don't get me wrong, I am a strong proponent of education being needed and a justifiable public expense. That said, I want to receive fair value for monies expended. I want the money to go for education, not just to line pockets. Being solidly in the middle class myself, I know that as painful as a 5% cut in pay can be at my level, I would hope that those making twice as much as me would have enough of a cushion that they can survive it easier.
Whenever I hear that budget cuts are needed, I want to see cuts in pay come before cuts in supplies or equipment. But human nature being what it is, those who make the decisions will do just the opposite to the detriment of those being served then cry about how they can't afford to keep service levels up.
The people responsible for higher education have been mostly missing in action during the whole budget fiasco.
The Chancellor and Regents submit a budget in October requesting an 3 percent increase over the previous budget after the the Governor requested agencies to come in with 10 percent cuts. The Chancellor's story was that without the Economic Forum numbers there was no reason to submit a real budget because revenues were not known.
The numbers have been known for over month and still no budget only talk of tuition increases and "grim" situations.
The higher education system has know this was coming for months and they have only responding with stonewalling and denial.
The state and students have to do their fair share, but the boys in charge of the higher education system in this state have done little so far to be worthy of this support. They give us gloom and doom instead of leadership. What is needed is a vision of quality higher education that is both affordable to the student and the taxpayer. We have received the opposite thus far and can look forward to a domed stadium to seat 40,000 on the campus of UNLV, the result of some "public-private" partnership.
Shame on us for tolerating the current state of affairs which is the system of higher education in Nevada.
Isnt Hordford the one that sells his office, maybe he can sell enough to make up the difference.
Horsford never met a tax he didn't like.
Politicians like him are the reason our state is in such trouble.
Most State Universities have increased the tuition they charge students a lot in the last few years. The days of free tuition are over. What is wrong with students working part time to pay their own tuition?
I'm in favor of taxing the mining industry in Nevada much heavier if the proceeds can be directed to education, not other pet political projects. I'd pay higher taxes personally, too, if it was on the same dedicated basis. The judgment of our politicians has been terribly flawed with respect to giveaways in union labor contracts. They cannot be trusted simply with a larger pot of money.
Horsford is being OFFENSIVE. It is NOT OUR JOB to send your kids to college. It is not necessary for Americans to pay twice what Europeans pay for K-12. Teach our children to read.
How to balance the budget: Put new hires (city, county, school district, state) under Social Security plan. Pundits say we can't dump PERS until it's fully funded--which won't happen in your life time. But the feds legislated making companies and governments joining SS system as attractive as they could. IMMEDIATE CUT OF 22% OF PAYROLL COSTS for city, county, school districts. Post new openings as NEW HIRE even when current employees may apply for "promotion."
Governor Sandoval and his Budget Director, Heidi Gansert, who were both educated at the University of Nevada, Reno seem to have forgotten the value of their education. They have attained the high state offices they are in because of the education they received from the Higher Education system in Nevada. Apparently, neither of them understand the return on the education investment dollars that accrues to Nevada each year. Unlike the Republican governors of Virginia, Kansas, New Jersey, and Nebraska who are investing more in higher education, Sandoval and Gansert have decided to maim and kill higher education in our state through a new (real) 30% budget cut on top of the 36% cut that Gibbons enacted. What this means is that UNR and UNLV will become empty shells that provide little or no value added to the state. Current faculty members will migrate to other states, and it will be next to impossible to attract new faculty members or grant money to these two universities. Our best and brightest high school students will go to other states for college, and statistics show that they will stay and work there after graduation. Further, why do you think high tech firms do not wish to move to Nevada in large numbers in spite of us having the "largest industrial park in the world"? Why do you think Nevada does not have the likes of a Silicon Valley? Being 48th in the Nation in Higher Education does not provide any incentive to knowledge intensive industries to move to Nevada no matter how low our taxes are. In the long run, Nevada and Nevadans will lose, but Sandoval and Gansert do not care; they will have looked good in the short term--just in time for the next elections. If I am still in the state when these two come up for elections in the future, I will not vote for them.